Gen info
- Planchonella is a genus of flowering trees in the gutta-percha family, Sapotaceae, containing around 100 mainly tropical species. Some authorities include it in a larger genus, Pouteria. The genus is named in honor of Jules Émile Planchon.

Botany
Planchonella duclitan is a medium-sized to large tree up to 50 m tall, with a straight bole up to 150 cm in diameter, sometimes even more, but in the Philippines usually less (up to 100 cm). Leaves evenly distributed, elliptical-obovate or elliptical-ovate, with distinct reticulate to slightly transverse tertiary venation, glabrous on both sides. Flowers in clusters on leafless or nearly leafless axillary shoots or in axillary clusters, on slender pedicels 2-9 mm long, whitish-green. Fruit ovoid, obovoid or globose, 1.2-3.5 cm long, glabrous except at base, orange to blackish green. (1)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.
- Also native to Borneo, Christmas Is., Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Maluku, New Guinea, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan. (2)

Constituents
- Study of methanolic extract of leaves isolated triterpene acids, 2α,3α,19α,23-hydroxyursolic acid (1), myrianthic acid (2), 2-hydroxyursolic acid (3), ursolic acid (4), pomolic acid (5), rotundic acid (6), and jacoumaric acid (7). (see study below) (4)

Properties
- Studies have suggested anticancer properties.

Parts used
Leaves, aerial parts.

Uses
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines. (8)
Others
- Wood: Used for carving, musical instruments, cabinet work, picture frames, household implements, matches, fan ribs. Lacking durability, rarely used in house building.

Studies
• Cytotoxicity / Anticancer / Leaves: Study of methanolic extract of leaves isolated triterpene acids,
2α,3α,19α,23-hydroxyursolic acid (1), myrianthic acid (2), 2-hydroxyursolic acid (3), ursolic acid (4), pomolic acid (5), rotundic acid (6), and jacoumaric acid (7). Compounds 4 and 7 showed significant cytotoxicity toward human colorectal carcinoma cell line HT29 and human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7 with IC50s ranging from 5.8 ± 1.4 to 6.5 ± 1.9 µM. (4)

Availability
Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Poulteria duclitan / PROSEA: Plant Resources of South-East Asia
(2)
Planchonella duclitan / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(3)
Planchonella / Wikipedia
(4)
Triterpene Acids from the Leaves of Planchonella duclitan (Blanco) Bakhuizan / Tzong-Huei Lee, Shin-Hun Juang, Feng-Lin Hsu, Cheng-Yi Wu / JCCS: Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society 2005; 52(6): pp 1275-1280 / DOI: 10.1002/jccs.200500184

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)